Project Power

Genres : Sci-Fi, Action, Thriller 

Writer : Surya Turaga 

Date : 6th June, 2023 

I went into watching this film expecting nothing at all. Even after seeing the trailer, I wasn’t sure what it would entail. I was very much surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It’s nothing mind blowing, just one of those fun and far above average action movies that one can always rewatch. 

Project Power is a sci-fi film set in fictional Manhattan, where a secret organization starts pedaling out a new kind of drug all over the city. It’s a pill that when taken, gives a person superpowers for 5 minutes. Everyone gets a different power. It can be becoming bulletproof, camouflaging, becoming fire stuff, etc. 

The film follows 2 main characters as they journey through a city driven to chaos due to the pills. Frank (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a cop trying to make things better. Art (Jamie Foxx) is a mysterious man with unknown motives, trying to get to the top of everything. 

The film is loaded with ‘grounded superhero’ style action sequences. The visual effects are certainly better than what we’ve been getting today. The many fights are quick, not too visual, and serve a proper purpose of helping with plot progression. The movie concept certainly allowed the film to get very creative with the action. I liked it. 

The plot itself did not become more convoluted than it had to be, which I consider very significant. The concept of showing 2 seperate character journeys overlapping around lots of drama can easily fall apart into confusing nonsense. I’m glad the movie held it together. Viewers easily follow the plot while still being curious about where it’s headed. 

That’s not to say that the film revealed everything. Sure, the characters were a bit too simple and easy to see through. Revelations relating to them didn’t really shock or awe. The reveals were all plot centered. And the plot kept some things hidden too. All that was certainly well executed. So with respect to this, the movie achieved most of what it aimed for. 

I saw nothing special in cinematography or music. The movie is plot and action driven, and kept things to the very basic on these 2 fronts. It’s good they played it safe. These are things that if screwed up, can ruin even the best films. Camera shots were most often clean and showed proper action, without making it look like the scenes were stuck in a blender. 

The acting was what anyone would expect from experienced actors playing in a simple and straightforward action film. Lived up to what it had to do, with occasional moments of something extra. The dialogues were the exact same. Might I also add, the movie didn’t exactly give the setting enough light. 

Overall, Project Power did what it could do very well, and took no risks with what it couldn’t. I really wished they took more risks instead of playing it safe. The action, plot, and effects shine, while everything else is nothing worthy of discussing. That’s not to say it’s a bad film. It’s a really enjoyable action film, complete with it’s own golden moments and fights. 

Surya-o-meter : 80%